“I think a lot of people are working in the right direction, and a lot of people are working together really well. We would just like to know which destination we’re going to, so we can really focus our efforts to make sure we can send folks there.”

— Mike Seibert, lead spacecraft systems engineer at JPL and an Opportunity (Mars rover) driver

###

Seibert probably knows as much as anyone about the crazy politics involved in NASA’s decision to focus on either Mars or the moon. When he made those comments a few years back, the path was open: either the easy goal — the moon — or the hard one — Mars. Since then, NASA has firmly, perhaps irrevocably for the foreseeable future, opted to take the easy path, back to the moon. For one obvious reason — because it can. Fifty years of technological improvements after the last Apollo mission (Apollo 17), of course it can. Where’s the challenge in that? The reality is that NASA isn’t responding to a challenge, but to a perceived threat.

At the height of the Cold War, five years after the USSR had launched Sputnik into Earth orbit, JFK told 40,000 people at Rice University that the US would put “a man on the moon” before the end of the 1960s “because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win.” That is, if we don’t get there first, the Ruskies will. (The race was all over by 1965, with the USSR all but ceding the race to the moon to the US.)

The threat now — essentially why we’re going back to the moon — isn’t the USSR/Russia anymore, it’s China. Bill Nelson, NASA director, was unabashedly explicit in a recent interview. “We don’t want China suddenly getting there and saying, ‘This is our exclusive territory.’” Which is BS. The six Apollo landings left six US flags — not UN flags — on the moon, but as far as I’m aware, that didn’t make the moon our 51st State.

If you look for why we’re going back to the moon, other than this fatuous Chinese threat, you’ll hear all sorts of equally fatuous reasons. As I say, the main one is that we can. Then there’s the idea that the moon will be a testing ground for Mars. It isn’t, and won’t be. I wrote about the jagged and corrosive lunar dust here — which will be a major disincentive to lunar exploration (Mars dust, eroded by the wind, is much more benign, more like dust here on Earth). Then there’s this notion that water on the moon can be mined and converted into rocket fuel. Well sorta. It’s in the form of ice. Deep frozen ice. In craters permanently in shadow, at about 25 degrees Celsius above absolute zero. Getting this stuff out isn’t a trivial problem, then you’ve got the challenge of separating it into its constituent oxygen and hydrogen (lots of energy needed for that) before storing and shipping…

Then there’s the totally different EDL (entry, descent, landing) requirements. To drop down to the airless moon from orbit, you just need a reliable retrorocket, per “The Eagle has landed.” Mars, you’re hitting the planet’s thin atmosphere at around Mach 2, enough to burn you up but not enough to slow you down efficiently. Oh, and then there’s gravity — around 18% of Earth’s at the moon, but 38% on Mars. And obtaining liquid water on Mars will be a snap compared to the moon.

As if all that isn’t enough, it takes three days to reach the moon, six months to Mars, with a round trip (because of Mars’ and Earth’s relative orbits) over two years. Radio communications to the moon lag about a second each way; between here and Mars, five to 20 minutes.

Bottom line, it’s ridiculous to claim that our current moon adventure will prepare us for Mars.

As usual, the real problem is money, since it’s a zero sum game; it’s either Mars or the moon, and NASA’s current focus on the moon will have a direct effect on any future Mars ventures. I hate to say it, but for Mars, we’re going to have to put our hopes on Elon (bless his black heart) Musk and SpaceX, with SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft and Super Heavy rocket. I wish it were otherwise, but, you know, money talks.

The most recent lease auction for the Humboldt Wind Energy Areas shows that wind energy developers are excited about the potential for floating offshore wind off of Humboldt’s coast. Where will these floating turbines be built? The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District is visioning how they can be built locally, with family-wage blue-collar jobs building our renewable energy future.

Larry Oetker, Executive Director of the Harbor District, joins Gang Green to discuss port redevelopment plans and what Humboldt Bay may look like in 10 years time.

Every year at the Humboldt County Fair you joke about bidding on one of those farm animals raised by a child. Every year you think about splitting the cost with a bunch of your friends and getting the whole animal butchered. You dream about having local, organic meat at your table and the rest tucked away in your freezer.

That dream is a lot closer than you think.

Farmers usually transport livestock to a facility approved by the USDA for processing before it can be sold. With Mobile Slaughter Operators (MSOs), farmers can sell the living animal first and then have it slaughtered and butchered. Here’s how it works: You purchase an animal locally, pay the rancher to care for the animal and collect the meat after the animal is harvested.

Back in 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 888 – Mobile slaughter operations: livestock into law, allowing cattle, goats, sheep and swine to be slaughtered on the ranch where they were raised. With the rising interest in how and where meat is produced, demand also went up for local slaughtering. This is where MSOs step in.

Meet Clyde Dalton, licensed to kill.

Dalton, age 30, owner and operator of the Lost Coast Mobile Slaughter Service, brings his truck out to farms and slaughters your animal. If you are worried about sanitation or the humane aspect of slaughter, Dalton follows guidelines provided by USDA and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). Every year he pays a licensing fee to be a livestock meat inspector with the CDFA and completes a training program provided by the Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch of the department.

Stepping away from the bureaucracy of an LLC, Dalton operates on knowledge and practice. Born in Fortuna but raised in Carlotta, he has been raising animals as well as slaughtering them since he was a kid.

“I was probably around six years old and I got used to the process,” Dalton told the Outpost on a recent tour of his operations. “I remember being interested in where our food comes from.”

The Lost Coast Mobile Slaughter Service has been in operation for roughly a month, and most business is coming from local small farms. He has not been able to operate within city limits because of his primary tool for slaughter — his gun. Using a firearm within city limits is prohibited in most scenarios, and that includes the killing of livestock.

“I’m hoping to get a bolt gun in the future so that I can adjust and possibly do work within city limits,” Dalton said.

To be clear, he does not butcher livestock. He simply slaughters. He charges a flat fee depending on the animal, but is learning to pivot as things change.

Just recently he slaughtered a massive bull weighing somewhere around 2,200 pounds. It took him three hours to kill, skin and clean. He also cleared out its innards and left the head for the owners to deal with. As part of the category he operates in, Dalton is technically not allowed to keep, dispose of or process any of these parts.

“Once I have the animal ready I leave all that for the owner,” Dalton said. “I take the carcass to the butcher shop and that’s it.”

In the same week that he slaughtered the massive bull, he took care of two pigs and two sheep over the course of three days. It is tough and honest labor.

“Somebody’s gotta do it,” Dalton said. “And I don’t mind it because I grew up hunting.”

The main reason Dalton is even able to run a business like this is because of his truck, which was custom-built by Dalton himself over the course of six months. There are three major components that aren’t inherently part of the truck. There’s the welded pillar that can swivel so that Dalton can hook up a carcass and lift it from the ground. There are the tracks inside, used to hang the carcasses for storage and travel. And there are the chains to keep the hooked carcasses from sliding back and forth on the tracks.

He welded every necessary piece, installed easy-to-clean flooring, bolted down a large container for water used to spray the inside of the truck and the carcasses clean.

His truck is not perfect, but it is an impressive start. He solves his problems as he goes and keeps in mind potential issues. Things like driving out into muddy areas on farmland can be difficult for keeping the truck and carcasses clean.

“I’m already thinking about having to slaughter an animal on a hill,” Dalton said. “Those areas can be tough because if I lift the animal here, the weight of it might swing it away from the entrance.”

It is important that his truck is so custom. Unlike cement trucks, you cannot just go out and buy a slaughtering truck. Such a thing hardly exists.

There have been attempts at making them commercially available. These have names like “Mobile Slaughter Units” or “Meat Harvest Units.” One I could find is strictly limited for poultry, known as a Poultry Processing Unit, and it costs $150,000. It is not really something a farmer, much less the average person, could afford.

All of this started because Dalton likes being outside every day. He is a skilled handyman: he welds, does fencework, builds kennels, paints houses, helps with his in-law’s firewood business, and just about anything that keeps him busy. On top of all the work, he is raising his two kids alongside his wife Aryn.

All of them are self-proclaimed animal lovers, and they have a whole pack of dogs that run on their property with their young cow.

“My little girl tells me she doesn’t want me to slaughter our cow.” Dalton said. “I’m not sure I ever will.”

Dalton believes that the slaughtering of an animal affects the quality of the meat. Considering the stress of it all, he tries to slaughter as quickly and humanely as possible.

“Some farmers have these animals like they are pets,” Dalton said. “Sometimes it’s hard for them to kill the animals themselves. It can be sentimental.”

Dalton has goals to expand and even adapt in some areas but since he just started, his main focus is letting us know that he has time to kill.

Gail Christie Johnson was born March 17 1925, in Eureka to Frederick and Ruth Johnson. He passed away peacefully with his family by his side on December 9, 2022. A lifelong native of Eureka, Gail graduated from Eureka High School in 1943. Right after graduation, Gail enlisted in the US Army, were he served in World War 2 from 1943-1946. During his time in the Army, he served with the 728th Railway Battalion in the European Campaign. On February 9, 1946, Gail married his high school sweetheart, Delores Simpson of Arcata, Together they celebrated 70 years of marriage. During those years they raised their son Larry and daughter Marcie. Once home from the Army, Gail took a job as a typesetter and compositor. His first printing job was with the family business called Times Printing, then on to Art Craft printers and finished his 40-year career with the local Times-Standard.

Throughout the years, Gail, Delores, kids and later grandkids, spent a lot of time traveling. They enjoyed all kinds of traveling. Anything from tent/trailer camping to a few trips to Hawaii and everything in between. They were blessed to have visited several states throughout the US. One of the last trips Gail took was “The Veterans Honor Flight” to Washington DC, with his longtime friend Neil. Gail was not an easy man to keep down. He was always busy helping others, volunteering, and his favorite past time of golfing. He was known at the Muni golf course as “Boomer.” He remained a long-time member of the Muni “8 o’clock gang” well into his early 90s. In addition to golfing, Gail loved deer and duck hunting, fishing, and exploring the woods outside of the Willow Creek and Hawkins Bar area.

In addition to being an outdoors person, Gail was also a very devoted Methodist. He was the oldest living member of the Eureka Methodist Church. He became an official member at the young age of 13. He was well known for lending a hand around the church. Anything from going to the church early on Sunday mornings when he was a kid to light the boiler to warm up the sanctuary to years of serving on various church committees. You often could find him and his friend Neil making repairs at the church, in their spare time. In addition, he also spent years delivering meals for “Food for People” and serving as a volunteer and shuttle driver for St. Joseph Hospital for over 30 years. In fact, he just recently retired from both those jobs when he was about 94 years old.

Gail was preceded in death by his wife Delores, his parents Frederick and Ruth Johnson and by his sister Lois Speer. He is survived by his son Larry Johnson (Marjorie) of Eureka, his daughter Marcie Speirs (Brian) of Vacaville: his granddaughter April Barnhart (Mark), Christopher Johnson (Jessica), Ryan McElhaney; great-granddaughter Chelsea Jackson (Kolby), great-grandson Logan Alto; and his great-great-granddaughter Leslie Mae Rose Jackson. With the addition of his great-great-granddaughter 3 years ago, that made five generations of Johnsons who are lifelong natives of Humboldt County.

In addition, he is survived by several nieces and nephews. Gail was also very blessed to be survived by his very special friend Jacky Reise. Jacky held a very special place in his heart these last few years. They were a perfect match for each other and spent many hours together going for rides in the car, checking out his favorite casinos and going out to dinner.

The family would like to thank Gail’s daughter-in-law Marjorie and Jacky for being at his bedside every step of the way. It means so much to him and all of us. We would also like to thank the staff at Eureka Timber Ridge for the great care these last few months and the staff at St. Joseph Hospital and Seaview rehabilitation for the amazing care these last few weeks. Thank you to Dr. Lei Han for helping us keep him comfortable and peaceful the last few days.

The family will be having a private viewing and graveside service. There will be a memorial service after the first of the year at the Eureka Methodist Church. We will announce date and time soon.

###

The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Gail Johnson’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Press release from the Humboldt County Administrative Office:

If you worked in child care or operated a facility during the pandemic, you may be eligible for up to $3,000 in bonus payments through the Humboldt Child Care Stabilization Fund. Child care centers and family child care providers are eligible to receive up to $4,000 or $6,000, depending on type of facility. The payments are part of the Retention Bonus Program, which awards funds to child care business owners and employees who worked directly with children through the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Humboldt County’s local child care system was devastated during the pandemic, and to help stabilize the system and ensure families have access to child care going forward, the Board of Supervisors earlier this year unanimously approved a $4.8 million program, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), that provides grants, loans and subsidies to local child care providers and families.

“During the pandemic we saw so many caregivers needing to stay home to care for their children because their child care needs could not be met. To determine how we could help our communities navigate the pandemic, we surveyed the business community and heard from many community members, including county employees and essential service providers, and all listed child care as a top priority,” said Virginia Bass, 4th District Supervisor and Chair of the Board, “The Board’s $4.8 million investment to create the Humboldt Child Care Stabilization Fund is so important as it not only supports local child care providers, but it also supports our community and economy. I am so proud these funds are now being distributed in our community and would like to thank our partners for helping us bring this program to fruition.”

The Child Care Accountability Team, comprised of local child care experts and community leaders have developed several programs to distribute these funds in ways that will make a lasting impact on Humboldt County’s child care industry, the essential people who work in the industry, and the local economy. Grant funds are administered by the Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), and since September, AEDC has provided nearly $500,00 in grants to local child care providers.

“Child care providers who worked through the pandemic did so in a time that was particularly difficult for them. Besides the developmental challenges of social distancing and masking with toddlers and preschoolers, most centers had to significantly cut the number of children they could serve, impacting their already small income,” said Susan Seaman, program director for AEDC. “During the pandemic, we saw a 30% closure rate of available child care, with at least 6% closing permanently. This grant is to try to support those who held on and are going to continue to serve our workforce.” 

Retention Bonuses For Employees

Any individual who worked in child care or operated a facility between July 1, 2021, and plans to remain in operation until at least June 30, 2023, is eligible for the program. Bonus amounts will be based on the hours you worked during the operation period. 

• Full-Time Employees (21-40 hours/week) - $3,000
• Half-Time Employees (12-20 hours/week) - $2,000

Payments for employees will be made in two installments, one for the period between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. The second installment will be made following the end of the period between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023.

Retention Bonuses For Centers & Family Child Care Providers

Each licensed child care center or family facility that can show that they were open between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2023, will be eligible for the retention bonus. Bonus amounts are based on the size and type of facility and are as follows:

• Child Care Centers - $6,000
• Large Family Facility (up to 14 children) - $5,000
• Small Family Facility (up to 8 children) - $4,000

The bonus will be paid in two installations, the first within 60 days of receiving the completed application. The second will be following the end of the eligibility period which is June 30, 2023.

There are still Bonus Retention Program funds available, and providers and caregivers are encouraged to apply. Applications are easy to fill out and are available in both English and Spanish at humboldtchildcare.org. Applicants should be aware that there are tax implications for those who receive Retention Bonus Program funds, and since everyone’s situation is different, awardees are encouraged to work with a tax consultant to understand what this means for them. 

The next local child care grant program to be implemented is a $10,000 forgivable loan program which will allow providers to upgrade child care facilities. This program will open in January 2023, and the county will make an announcement when the application process begins. For more information, please visit humboldtchildcare.org. 

Screenshot of real-time diversions to the Klamath Irrigation Project, from this Bureau of Reclamation website.

Press release from the Yurok and Karuk tribes:

Last week Tribal communities celebrated as Klamath dam removal plans were approved. This week, the celebration was cut short as the Bureau of Reclamation proposed a plan to cut Klamath River flows by 40%.

“We are hurt and frustrated,” said Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers. “We are on the verge of the biggest salmon restoration project in history and now we learn of plans to de-water the river.”

Several consecutive years of drought has led to irrigation diversion curtailments, poor water quality, and fish kills. With mounting political pressure on federal agencies to fill the only water storage feature on the mainstem Klamath, Upper Klamath Lake, the Bureau of Reclamation has floated a proposal to cut river flows by 40% when flows are already below recommended minimums.

“The river is already suffering from inadequate flows. The salmon simply have no more to give,” noted Yurok biologist Barry McCovey. McCovey adds that endangered Coho salmon are currently spawning in the mainstem of the Klamath River because flows in tributaries in which they normally spawn are too low. “Cutting water now will kill salmon eggs, possibly wiping out the entire run.”

Adding insult to injury, the Klamath Drainage District in Klamath Falls, OR is currently diverting nearly 1,000-acre feet of water a day from the Klamath. This diversion is deemed illegal by federal agencies, but so far, no law enforcement agency has acted to stop it.

“We are removing dams and Congress has provided significant restoration dollars to the Klamath, but at the end of the day fish still need water,” said Karuk Chairman Russell ‘Buster’ Attebery. “We call on the Administration to act promptly to stop illegal water diversions.”

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

On Dec. 16, 2022, at about 1 a.m., Humboldt County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a business on the 1600 block of Holly Drive in McKinleyville for the report of a security alarm activation.

Deputies arrived in the area and located 48-year-old John Robert Posey III hiding between parked vehicles. Deputies contacted Posey and learned that he had been siphoning gasoline from vehicles belonging to the business just prior to deputies’ arrival. During a search of Posey incident to arrest, deputies located drug paraphernalia.

Posey was booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of tampering with an automobile (VC 10852), trespassing (PC 602(K)), petty theft (PC 488) and possession of drug paraphernalia (HS 11364(a)).

When the price of gas rises, so do the number of gas-theft incidents. Here’s how you can help protect your vehicle:

• Always park in well-lit, well-traveled locations.
• Park in your garage or driveway whenever possible. If you have to park in the street, do so under street lighting near your house.
• Avoid parking in public places for extended periods of time.
• Position your vehicle so the fuel door is seen from a main road.
• Consider installing a locking gas cap, even if your fuel door locks.
• Always lock your vehicle and remove any valuables from sight, even if you are home.
• Consider installing motion-activated security cameras or alarms.
• Remember to call 911 if you see suspicious behavior, such as someone putting a siphon into a gas tank or acting strangely around parked cars.

Anyone with information about this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.